sea urchin spines

[Beachbum]

I got a question about how to get thise sea urchin spine out of my big toe. I went surfing with my friend the other day and it was like knee high for like a mile out with coral and sea urchins out there. Well I hit one after the first wave of the day and was wondering if I should just clean it out and leave in there.

[isaluteyou]

i got spiked and had 3-4 spines in my foot. I could not get them out so i just left it. It took about 3-4 weeks to rot out

[el_timmo]

usually your body should naturally reject it and try to push it out.

It's not necessary to remove them, but with some people, you may get an allergic reaction if you leave them in.

Anyway, what you should do when you first get spiked is to immerse your foot in as hot water as you can handle..... I think this draws out any poison that's in there. Then remove whatever spines you can see.[/list]

[pault]

To help draw the spine out you can put toothpaste on it or immerse it in olive oil as these naturally help to draw out the spine.

[Dr Rev]

Potasium sulphate paste should do the job, used to use it when i had splinters, its a drawing ointment !!

Good luck

[fenix07]

You may want to see a doctor to make sure you don't get an infection. Although I've never been stung by sea urchins, I have been stung by stingrays, and I was foolish enough not to see a doctor. Within a week, my left foot was swollen because it got infected.

But that's stingrays, I do not know about sea urchins. If I were you, I'd still see a doc just to be safe, just my 2cents...

[Dec]

Yea man. In indonesia I stood on a heap of them and they were lodged in my foot. It sucks bad!

I had to pick them out, but it's really tough because they are barbed. If you leave it in, the poison wil spread and it will become infected quick.

Good Luck

[IDynamite]

For sure dude get it looked at. My buddy got spiked reallll bad and it got infected. He almost lost his foot. Keep an eye out!

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

where were you surfing?

i got a bunch in my foot once at DH, there were maybe 10, they were the really thin fine black ones. after a while they dissolve in your foot. you just have to let it go unless it gets infected. and be gland its not in the ball of your foot. i had to balance on my heel for about a month and a half.

it takes a lot more than "4 weeks"

mine stopped hurting after about 6 weeks, and took almost a year and a half to completely dissolve.

actually i just looked at my foot and i can see a little black line in it. so make that 3.5 years andd counting.hah

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

aslo, i didnt see a doc and turned out fine. keep it clean and such, and go it it gets infected.

unless... are they big fat spines?